Entertainment Book Review: Will It Save You Money?

Want to save money on entertainment expenses? The Entertainment Book is full of discounts for the best dining, entertainment, goods and services in your local area.

You’ll also get access to savings when shopping online and at well-known national chains.

No matter where you live, the Entertainment Book can help your budget stay on track. It began in the Detroit area in 1962 and expanded to include over 500,000 different merchants across 10,000 different cities all over the U.S. and Canada.

The Entertainment Book is the go-to source to save money on almost every purchase you make.

How the Entertainment Book Works

Save money on pizza, movie tickets, a day at the zoo and vacation planning when you buy the 2020 Entertainment Book. It might sound too good to be true, but these discount coupons offer robust savings in one convenient package.

The book gives you access to pre-printed and digital coupons to make saving on the go more accessible than ever.

You can pick a Book Membership for a one-time cost of $35.00. Or choose a Digital Membership for $19.99 billed annually (or pay $2.99 monthly).

While the annual Digital subscription doesn’t require any money upfront, it doesn’t include the printed book. And that means you’ll miss out on hundreds of 2-for-1 discounts and savings of up to 50% off.

The Book Membership includes digital access and is the better value because it comes with additional pre-printed coupons.

There’s no need to worry about shipping fees, either. The latest Entertainment Book will ship to your address in 7 to 10 days at no cost to you.

Plus, you may receive cashback by logging in to your Rakuten or Swagbucks account before you make your membership purchase.

In the meantime, start saving money right away by downloading the app.

Note: Some cities only have the option of purchasing a Digital Membership.

When coupled with the digital savings app, you’ll find tons of ways to enjoy life for less.

The Original Entertainment Book

The original feature of the Entertainment Book was pre-printed coupons. The 2020 edition won’t let you down when it comes to saving money.

Hundreds of local coupons are inside the Entertainment Book.

As you browse through the offers, you’ll find deals on things you already use. Plus, there are discounts on new services and activities that you’ve always wanted to try.

You can save up to 50% on goods and services such as:

Molly Maid

Steak ‘n Shake

Avis Car Rental

Barnes and Noble

Macy’s

Office Depot

Sherwin Williams

Cold Stone Creamery

And many more

Previous editions came with a Membership Card, but they have been phased out beginning with the 2019 book.

Don’t worry – your purchase enrolls you in all the savings and discount prices on hotels and rental cars and that were bundled with the card.

The deals help you get the most out of life in your local area. You might find that some offers in the Entertainment Book are valid only at specific locations. For instance, the coupons that come in the Orlando Entertainment Book won’t be any good in St. Louis.

Most of the deals are buy-one-get-one-free or for up to 50% off the original price.

When you’re ready to use a discount, tear the paper coupon out of the book and take it with you. Redeem the printed ticket at the specified location to cash in on savings at some of your favorite destinations.

Your purchase also includes access to the digital savings program. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play for even more money-saving offers.

Depending on what you have available in your local area, you should see national chain restaurants and local diners. You can also find hotels, rental cars, shopping, zoo admission, golfing and more in the Entertainment Book.

The Entertainment Book Digital App

The digital app comes bundled with your purchase of the Entertainment Book. Like most digital coupon apps, you’ll open up a wider variety of thrifty bargains.

If you don’t like to sift through coupons, the Entertainment Book app is available as a separate purchase.

Whether you get it with the original Entertainment Book or as a stand-alone digital membership, the deals you’ll find on the app are available without clipping any coupons.

You’ll save big on restaurants, shops, attractions, and travel by having thousands of money-saving offers available on your phone or tablet. This mobile feature streamlines saving when you’re on the go since there’s no need to carry around the coupon book.

The app also includes local offers and over 75,000 coupons that might not be available in the printed version.

Use your mobile phone to save on things like:

Fine and casual dining

Fast food purchases

Movie tickets

Airlines and hotels

Golf

Skiing

Shopping

And many more

However, some deals are in the book and the app, giving you more than one chance to save on your local favorites – all for one low price.

Is the Entertainment Book Worth It?

The Entertainment Book is packed full of over 500,000 opportunities to save.

But is it worth the price?

You bet it is. With the Entertainment Book, you’ll escape the time-consuming task of looking for online coupons or special off-season discounts.

That’s because, between the book and the digital app, you’ll have substantial money-saving discounts at your fingertips.

Plus, you don’t have to use everything in the book to get your money’s worth. Redeem one or two coupons to make up for the cost of the book.

Depending on your lifestyle, you can pick and choose your savings:

A single person might want to save on sports activities or live events.

Couples could find value in discounted cruises and home furnishings.

A young family may enjoy family activities and deals on cleaning services.

Here’s a peek at a few coupons you’ll find inside the book and the app.

Dining and Grocery Expenses

However, the Entertainment Book helps you save money at Baja Fresh, Pizza Hut, Boston Market, Burger King, and other fast food, casual and fine dining locations. Plus, you could find discounts for your local grocery stores and major retail grocery chains.

Shopping and Home Furnishings

Find savings when purchasing online or in-store on home furnishings such as dining room sets, tables, chairs and home decor.

Home Services

How would you like to save money on the services you spend money on month after month? With the Entertainment Book, you’ll find deals on dry cleaning, salons and barbers, spa services, fitness centers, tanning salons and eye care centers.

Travel

Everyone loves a good vacation. When was the last time you had one? Now you can make travel plans guilt-free with discounts on hotels, lodging, rental cars and airfare.

How Much Can You Save with the Entertainment Book?

Think about how much you spend on movies, dining, groceries or other entertainment each year. You might realize there is great potential to save money with the Entertainment Book.

The average person in the U.S. spends $3,203 on entertainment every year, according to a Consumer Expenditures report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Most of the coupons in the Entertainment Book are for 2-for-1 discounts or savings up to 50% off regular price. Based on average spending, you could save up to $1,600 in one year when you use the coupons in the book and digital app.

That’s a considerable amount of cash that you could use to pay down debt or splurge on an exotic vacation.

Summary

The increase in money-saving apps has moved printed coupons to the back of the pack. But don’t rule them out just yet.

The Entertainment Book can bring coupons back to life. If you don’t want to bring the book with you, it only takes a second to remove a coupon and carry it in your wallet or phone case.

And the digital app makes saving money on the go even easier. You’ll have access to over 75,000 deals with a few taps on your smartphone or tablet.

If you’ve never used the Entertainment Book before, you’re missing out on discounts at local and national retail brands. After one use, you’ll see how easy it is to save on bowling, pizza, golf, craft supplies, groceries and more.

The book and the app offer fantastic value and will quickly pay for itself after a few uses. And it’s a minimal cost that could save you big money.

Have you used the Entertainment Book or App before? What was your favorite deal? Feel free to tell us in the comments section on our Facebook page.

0shares

Author

Amy is freelance writer with bachelor degrees in business administration and legal studies.

She has a passion for personal finance, and her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, Money Tips, Dollar Sprout, and various other personal finance publications. She's also active on Twitter and LinkedIn.

On her blog at Early Morning Money, Amy helps everyday families develop better money habits and escape the burden of debt.

When she’s not writing about money or perfecting her budgeting spreadsheet, Amy enjoys playing board games with her family and watching Marvel movies.

1 Comment

JoeHx

My wife and I got the Entertainment Book one year as a gift. However, every place we went to in order to use a coupon had closed down sometime between placing the coupon in the book and us going to the place.